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The New Orleans Pelicans had an eventful couple of nights at the 2025 NBA Draft, sparking a range of opinions from their series of intriguing moves. Despite initially holding just one first-round pick, newly-hired head of basketball operations Joe Dumars ended the process with Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen and Micah Peavy on his roster.
Dumars led the Pelicans' draft war room, along with general manager Bryson Graham. New Orleans made its first move one week before the draft, trading for the Indiana Pacers' No. 23 pick. The pick was subsequently used as the main piece of the package that Dumars and Graham sent to the Atlanta Hawks to trade up for Queen.
Queen was already a prospect whose scouting reports had split opinions, causing the trade to fall under heavy scrutiny. Many doubted Queen as the No. 13 overall pick, and were even less convinced that he was worth trading up to that spot for.
Regardless, Fears and Queen became two of the most intriguing additions to the Pelicans' 2025-2026 roster. The young team will return 11 players from the previous season. New Orleans picked up its team option on guard Jordan Hawkins while rejecting those of Elfrid Payton and Brandon Boston Jr.
With Dumars clearly looking to change the team's direction, the Pelicans have already become one of the top teams to watch coming out of the 2025 NBA Draft. Given the way they joined the team, Fears and Queen will be two of the most-watched rookies in 2025-2026, with Peavy an intriguing second-round addition.
Round 1, Pick 7: PG Jeremiah Fears (Oklahoma)
Jeremiah Fears went viral on draft night for his iconic jersey number choice, but there is a lot to like about his game. With Dejounte Murray coming off an Achilles injury and CJ McCollum off to the Washington Wizards, the Pelicans have a lot of point guard minutes for Fears to immediately absorb.
Fears is an interesting prospect, but this is not a team in need of perimeter help. The Pelicans traded McCollum but netted Jordan Poole in return. New Orleans also returns Murray, Hawkins, Jose Alvarado and Antonio Reeves. Even if Murray does not return to form, the team expects sizeable leaps from Hawkins and Reeves in 2025-2026.
Fears is listed at just 182 pounds, giving him a lot of room to grow into his frame. He gained popularity for his shifty highlight reel at Oklahoma, but similar players tend to take time adjusting to the next level. Fears certainly has the upside worth taking in the lottery, but is more of a long-term project than a day-one contributor.
There is nothing wrong with gambling on Fears' upside, but the Pelicans need immediate help. New Orleans went just 21-61 in 2024-2025, missing the playoffs for the fifth time in the last seven years. Without any confidence in Zion Williamson's availability, the team desperately needs a new star to emerge and lead the franchise. Poole, who is now on his third team in four years, does not seem like the guy.
Perhaps Fears turns into a superstar, but it will likely not happen right away. He was the best talent on the board at the time the Pelicans selected him, but Fears will likely cause them more growing pains early on than they might be able to handle.
Grade: B-
Round 1, Pick 13: PF/C Derik Queen (Maryland)
In the days following the 2025 NBA Draft, no player has been criticized more than Derik Queen. Despite quietly trotting through the entire pre-draft process, fans let all their opinions out after the Pelicans traded up to draft Queen.
Criticism aside, Queen was always viewed as the second-best center in the class and was drafted accordingly, taken three spots after Khaman Maluach. Nevertheless, with Yves Missi coming off a promising rookie campaign, many did not consider adding another center a worthwhile investment for the Pelicans.
While Queen's guard-like skill set makes him one of the most volatile prospects of the draft, there is not much room for him to grow with the Pelicans. Missi proved himself as the team's starting center in 2025-2026, and Williamson, despite his injury woes, remains a dominant force whenever on the court. Queen will not overtake either guy anytime soon, and both are signed through the 2027-2028 season.
Unless Queen is willing to accept a Naz Reid-like role, the Pelicans are quickly creating a frontcourt logjam. Queen received many Reid comparisons ahead of the draft, but that role is much more valuable to a contending team than a rebuilding one like New Orleans.
Queen has elite potential, but the situation Dumars created within the team figures to come back to bite him. The Pelicans seem to view Queen as insurance for another Williamson injury, but the move comes with long-term consequences. In the best-case scenario, Queen delivers on his potential, but creates a messy situation once eligible for an extension. In the worst-case scenario, playing behind Williamson and Missi stunts his growth and shortchanges his career before it can even take off.
Grade: C
Round 2, Pick 40: SG/SF Micah Peavy (Georgetown)
As a part of Dumars' admitted aggressive approach to the 2025 NBA Draft, he also landed a second-round pick in the McCollum-Poole deal. The pick, No. 40, ultimately turned out to be Georgetown guard Micah Peavy, a selection that raised several eyebrows.
While Peavy dominated the Big East in 2024-2025, he did so as a fifth-year senior at his third different school. After being nothing more than a mid-tier role player at Texas Tech and TCU, his blow-up came as somewhat of a surprise. Many expected Peavy's name to be called in the second round, but not as early as it was.
Peavy will not have the same level of offensive success in the NBA, but his defensive prowess should translate. He has always been a solid defender, but took his game to another level at Georgetown, averaging a career-high 2.3 steals per game with the Hoyas. Peavy also enjoyed a career year from deep — hitting 40 percent of his three-point attempts in 2024-2025 — showing off his three-and-D potential at the next level.
The Pelicans have no shortage of three-and-D wings, but no team can ever have too many of them in the modern NBA. Peavy, who has only missed seven games in his five-year collegiate career, also provides valuable durability to a team that seems to struggle with injuries as much as any other in the league.
His age and lack of sustained success deterred several scouts, but Peavy already possesses an NBA-ready physique that makes him potentially ready to contribute immediately. Peavy's performance in the Summer League and preseason will be telling on how his career pans out. The pick just seemed like a slight reach for a player whom many teams behind the Pelicans likely did not have on their board.
Grade: B-
